Spiffy:

Iffy:

Need more evidence to see if the physics are truly improved and if the courses have variety.

The video-game golf market is quite crowded, with Tiger, Mario, and a bunch of hot shots dominating the scene. Hypnotix found an interesting way to compete with the big boys with Outlaw Golf. Featuring outlandish characters, impromptu brawls, and exaggerated action, this saucy golf game had an interesting edge and offered a unique golf experience. Unfortunately, it lacked a decent variety of courses and had some questionable physics. For its follow-up, the developer promises to address the original's shortcomings and add even more variety. It hopes Outlaw Golf 2 will have an even more pronounced edge, but also have a strong enough foundation to make it appeal to casual gamers and golf junkies.

The game features ten characters, each with their own caddies. Some of the characters from the original (including El Suave, El Ramone, and Killer Miller) are back and they'll go up against a new breed of golfers. To my delight, Summer the bisexual stripper-turned-golfer and her equally sexy companion-turned-caddy Autumn are back.

Summer plays with some wood.

Hypnotix is putting more of an effort into making each character feel and play differently. The player attributes include control, distance, accuracy, composure, driving, and fighting. To boost individual stats, there are mini-games that take place on the driving range. Each character has an attribute cap to ensure that high-level golfers still feel distinct.

Now, if you've been paying attention (and shame on you if you haven't), you noticed that driving is a stat that you can increase. This is for the golf cart mini-games that you can partake in. There are timed obstacle races, courses where you have to hit checkpoints, and out-and-out timed races for you to enjoy. Winning races is another way to give your golfer a composure boost in case you're wussy and can't with your fights.

So far, eight courses have been revealed. Three are courses from the original game that feature new holes. The other five have been built from the ground up.

Like the original, you can change the momentum of the game by fighting your opponents. You can engage in a fight by using a token, but you have a limited amount. Additional, fighting tokens can be won by winning the front nine, back nine, hitting birdies, and nailing eagles.

The Xbox version of the game looks like the one to get. Aside from better graphics and faster load times, Xbox gamers can use a custom soundtrack from their hard drives and play over Xbox Live. Online features include leader boards, four-player tournaments, head-to-head matches, score uploading, and headset support.

Information on the new characters, new courses, and new modes will be arriving shortly. For now, Outlaw Golf 2 looks like a worthy successor with an appealing budget price (under $20USD). Check back for more info on this game, as well a gratuitous movies of Summer and Autumn.